Tis the season to make the most of whatever our veggie garden is producing. At the moment it is berries and we are grateful for the blessing. Berries are quite expensive to buy at the supermarket / fruit shop, so to grow them for free is such a good feeling. We also know they haven't had any nasties sprayed on them.
Here's what we got up to this week -
* Darren made 12 jars of blackberry jam using berries he'd picked from the rouge plants he's growing in our backyard.
* I made potato cakes using the pumpkin and potato mash leftover from a dinner. There were enough potato cakes for a lunch for me and to use as a side for dinner for Darren and I.
* I made 6 jars of raspberry jam using berries I'd picked from our bushes and frozen over time. The berries have been slow this year so I'm hoping there will be enough berries growing to make another batch of jam this Summer / Autumn.
* Emptied the last of Darren's shower gel into the foaming hand wash pump and added some extra water.
* Saved the washing machine rinse water, shower warm up water and kitchen sink water and reused it in the washing machine for the next load.
* Dried all washing on the line. On really hot days I hang the washing on clothes horses while inside then just step outside to put them under our pergola. The washing is usually dry within an hour or two. These days I won't stand at the clothesline in the blazing heat to hang washing.
* Picked lots of beans ( from one plant ), a handful of small tomatoes and a few raspberries. Everything is growing and ripening very slowly this Summer. I'm very grateful I bought about 2 dozen tins of tomatoes as a back up late last year when they were still 60 - 75 cents each a tin. I think their current price is 95 cents for the cheapest brand.
* Made a few Christmas cards from recycled cards given to me from a cleaning client.
* I had our card making group at our place last Saturday. We all bring a plate to share for morning / afternoon teas. I was able to provide a plate of chocolate brownies from the freezer that I'd made a week or two earlier.
* Continued to keep the curtains closed on hot days. I usually only need to put the cooling on about mid afternoon. You'd be amazed at the amount of people who have their curtains open ( or no curtains at all ) on really hot days.
* Fed bread crusts, leftover cooked veggies ( we forgot about ) and a couple of spoonfuls of cooked rice to the chickens.
* I made creamed rice to use up some milk that had gone well past it's expiry date ( but was still fine ). Unfortunately when I bought the milk I could only get milk with 7 days until expiry and we don't use it that quickly. Still, the creamed rice was delicious and we enjoyed it for a few days.
* Made 3 loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.
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| 272g of beans picked form one plant in just one day. |
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| More beans over the next couple of days |
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| Recycled greeting cards I made |
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| More recycled cards |
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| Cards made using scraps |
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| Luka my grandson joined us to make cards |
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| Luks loves using my embossing machine |
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| Such a happy boy when he's creating. |
Wendy you are an inspiration. I am beginning to think what could I plant. I bought two blueberry plants and one died with the heat. The bay tree gave up too.
ReplyDeleteWe have been better with leftovers. So that is good. I will need to pay close attention to food as my son’s lease has expired. He works away from home nine months of the year. He will be with us for the next five weeks or so. I don’t want to waste to much and most of my meats etc are packed in small amounts.
The beans look fantastic Wendy! I cant believe how much Luka has grown! And its so good he is keen on making things! xxx
ReplyDeleteMy BIL works for a large dairy (USA) and says the expiration dates on dairy products are for the dairy's protection, not the consumers. He says most milk products are good for approximately two weeks past the "use by" date. We've tested that and it seems to hold true.
ReplyDeleteMilk that is on the brink of turning sour can still be used in pancake batter. You won't notice the taste, and won't get sick.
ReplyDelete